What to Look for When Buying Scrubs and Hospital Clothing

When you go to work for a hospital or a similar facility, you might expect that the hiring manager will give you a uniform that you can wear on your first day. Very few facilities will provide you with a uniform though. Once you successfully pass the interview stage and receive a job offer, the manager will provide you with information about the type of scrubs, coats and other clothing that you can wear on the job. You’ll need to consider a few things when buying your work uniforms.

Colors Differ

Depending on where you work, your employer may limit the colors and patterns that you can wear on the job. Many hospitals assign workers different colors based on their job titles. Nurses wear one color, orderlies wear another and assistants wear a third color. Companies that make scrubs and other clothing might use the same names to describe several entirely different colors. As the same color can different so much across different brands, you may find it helpful to buy all your clothing from the same company or website.

Fit Matters

Whether shopping for pants, tops or coats, fit always matters. If you wear pants that are just a little too long, you’ll find yourself constantly tripping over the hem when rushing to a patient’s room. Wearing a shirt that has sleeves that are too long or a hem that is too loose can result in your shirt catching on medical equipment as you work with patients. Even if you don’t want to buy from a scrub store in your city, you should still visit one of those shops to find out what size clothing you need. You may find that you need to go up or down a size.

Comfort Matters More

Though fit matters, comfort might matter even more. When you’re shopping for something like a META women’s lab coat, you need to make sure that you can button the coat over the clothing that you usually wear. This coat should fit comfortably without hanging loosely around you and without making you feel constricted. You’ll also want to see how the coat feels when you carry a prescription pad and other tools in the pockets. Whether you need scrubs to work in a hospital or a lab coat for medical school, you should focus on things like fit and comfort.